Sewing-awl.



C. A. STEWART.

SEWING AWL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11, 190B.

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

@IIIIH H Ohareafl Stewart ll/itrzesaea CHARLES A. STEWART, OF LOSANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SEWING-AWL.

Specification of Letters Patent. ,1

Patented Jan. 5, 1909.

Application filed June 11, 1908. Serial No. 437,915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. STEWART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new.

and useful Sewing-Awl, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a sewing awl. The principal objects thereofare to provide a sewing awl with an improved tension device and meanswhereby with a very simple mechanism the awl may be caused to feed thethread by the motion of the needle itself when insertedin the leather orthe like upon which it is to operate; to construct the tension andfeeding device in a simple and convenient location cooperating with aneedle bar or holder which carries a needle and which moves therewith;to provide improved means for securing a plurality of needles or othertools in the body of the implement; and generally to improve andsimplify implements of this character.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a central longitudinal sectional view of one form of needle awl inwhich the invention may be embodied. Fig. 2 is a similar view at rightangles to the plane of Fig. 1 showing a slight modification; Fig. 3 is aplan of a portion of the device; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showinga position of the parts when feeding.

The invention is shown as comprising a hollow handle 10 having a space11 therein, which is removably secured on a body 12 having alongitudinal passage 13 there-.

through. In this passage is located a needle holder or bar 14 providedon the end with a chuck 15 in which a needle 16 may be secured. This ispreferably done by means of a cap 17 adapted to be screwed on the chuckso as to tighten the jaws thereof, and having a flange covering the endof the body 12. There is a slight play between the end of this flangeand the bead 18 on the body which the flange is adapted to engage. Inthe passage 13 is located a spring 19 engaging a shoulder in the passageand a pin 20 on the needle bar to normally hold the needle bar and cap17 in a forward position, but to permit the same to slide back when theneedle is thrust into the leather or other material to be operated upon,until the flange strikes the stop or head 18.

The thread is brought down to the needle through an opening 21 in theend of the handle or from a spool 22 j ournaled in said opening and inthe end of the needle holder. in either case it passes through an eye ina guide plate 23 and down through a passage 2i in a bar 25 which ismounted on the needle bar. This passage 21 extends through the bar 25 inan inclined direction, the thread being brought down first to the lowerside of said passage, then out through the upper side, and then downthrough a passage 26 of the body to the needle. As the thread passespart way around the circularbar 25 before it enters the passage 21 andthen is brought back and extends part way around it again before itenters the passage 26 and as in both of these places the thread bears ona curved tension plate 28, it will be seen that any attempt which may bemade to pull the thread out along the needle while the needle is in itsnormal position 1 would simply result in pulling the bar 25 in the samedirection and would increase the tension with which the tension device25, 28 holds the thread. Consequently the thread will be absolutelyprevented from feeding forward at this time. Then the needle is thrustinto, the leather or other material, however, the spring 19 yields,which results in forcing the needle bar back and removing the bar 25from contact with the tension plate, thus releasing the tension. At thistime, therefore, the thread will be per mitted to feed forward freely sothat as the needle is being thrust through the leather the thread willbe automatically supplied to it, but as soon as the force which pushesthe needle holder back is released, the spring will bring it forward andthe tension will again be applied, so that the stitches will be madetight bypulling back on the sewing awl after it has once pierced theleather or the like. It will be seen, therefore, that by avery simpleconstruction the sewingawl is provided with an automatic feeding devicewhich operates at the proper time to automatically apply the tension asthat is desired to cause the stitches to be made tight and strong. Theguide plate 23 also serves to keep the thread in position to bring itinto proper relation with the tension device. It will be understood, ofcourse, that the tension plate 28 is made of such form that its sidesslant slightly so as to receive the sides of the bar 25 and clamp thethread between them on both sides of the bar by the wedging action theplate. The body 12 in addition to the passage 26 is provided with aplurality of sockets 30,-

7 preferred form of the invention, I am aware that many modificationscan be made therein, and that it can be carried out in many other wayswithout departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in theclaims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all the details shown,but

lVhat I do claim is 1. A sewing awl having a handle, a needle holdermovable with respect thereto, and a tension 'device adaptedtobe"controlled by the movement' of said he" "lle'Jhol'der.

' 2. In a'sewing'awl, the coinbination ofa handle,a needle holderlongitudinally mov' able with respect thereto,andf-means move able withthe needle holder for gripping the thread in one position of the needleholder.

3. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle holderlongitudinally movable with respect thereto, means movable with theneedle holder for-gripping the thread in one position of the needleholder, and yielding means for moving the needle holder to saidposition.

4. In a sewing awl, the combination of a longitudinally movable needleholder, a spring for moving it in one direction, and a bar on the needleholder adapted to grip the thread when the needle holder is pushed outby the spring.

5. In a sewing awl, the combination with a handle, a needle holdermovable with respect thereto, of a tension device comprising a membermounted to move with the needle holder, and a fixed member adapted tocoo aerate with the first named member to hole the thread.

6. In a sewing awl, the combination of a longitudinally movable needleholder. a spring for moving it in one direction, and a tenslon devicecomprising a bar 011 the needle holder adapted to grip the thread onboth sides of said bar when the needle holder is pushed out by thespring.

'7. In a se-wing awl, the combination of a movable n'ee'o-le holder,'a"'bar-" there0n hav:

ing a slanting passage therethrough for the thread, and a tension plateadapted to en gage said bar on both sides thereof.

of the latteron .movable. needle holder, a bar thereon having 8. In "asewing awl, the combination of a a slanting passage therethrough for thethread, a tension plate adapted to engage said bar on both sidesthereof, and a guide for the thread for leading the thread to. the mostremote end of said passage, said thread being brought through thepassage and out at the opposite end and part way around the bar, wherebythe thread will be clamped on both sides of the bar.

9. A tension device for the purpose de-' scribed, comprising a movablebar, a cross bar thereon having a slanting passage therethrough for thethread, the thread being brought from one. side of the barinto the moreremote end of the passage and out through the passage on the other sideand part way around the bar, and a tension plate adapted to engage thethread on both sides of the bar.

10. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle holderlongitudinally movable with respect thereto, and means movable with theneedle holder for gripping the thread when the needle holder is in itsoutermost position.

11. Ina sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle holderlongitudinally mov-. able with respect thereto, a'spring for moving itin one direction, and means movable with the needle holder adapted togrip the thread when the needle holder is pushed out by the spring.

12. A sewing awl having a handle, a relatively movable needle holderthereon, means for preventing the thread from feeding, and meanscontrolled by the needle holder for operating said feed-preventingmeans.

13. A sewing awl having a handle, a needle holder longitudinally movablewith respect thereto, and means mounted on the needle holder forcontrolling the tension of the thread.

14. A sewing awl having a handle, a tension device, a needle holdermovable with respect thereto, and means operated by the. needle holderfor automatically releasing the tension and allowing the thread to feed.

15. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a tension device, alongitudinally movable needle holder movable with respect thereto, andmeans operated by the needle holder for releasing the tension andallowing the thread to feed.

16. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle holder,resilient means for moving the needle holder with respect to the handle,a tension device, and means operated by the needle holder in oppositionto the resilient-means for releasing the tension device and'all-owing'the thread to feed.

17. In a sewing awl, the combination of a' longitudinally movable needlebar, means connected with the needle bar for releasing the tension whenthe needle bar is pushed in, a cap or sleeve constituting means forsecuring a needle in the needle bar and movable therewith, and a stopfor engaging the cap and limiting the motion of the needle bar inwardly.

18. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle bar movablewith respect to the handle, a spring for holding the needle barout,means operated by the needle bar for releasing the tension of the threadwhen the needle bar is pushed in, and a stop for limiting the inwardmotion or" the needle bar to permit the thread to feed while the needlebar is pushed in.

19. In a sewing awl, the combination of a handle, a needle bar movablewith respect to the handle, means connected with the needle bar forreleasing the tension when said needle bar is pushed in, said needle barhaving means for holding a needle, whereby pressure on the needle willrelease the tension device,

and a cap mounted on and movable with the needle bar for securing theneedle to the needle bar.

20. A sewing awl, comprising a hollow handle having a chamber thereinand a passage at one end thereof through which the thread may be passed,a spool adapted to be journaled in said passage, a needle bar having ajournal for the other end of the spool, and a guide arranged on theneedle bar for the thread.

21. A sewing awl, comprising a body having a passage for the thread, anda plurality of sockets therein, each socket having a spring for securinga needle or tool therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. STEWART. Witnesses:

ALBERT E. FAY, MARY E. REGAN.

